Meeting New Faces
by Jarris Shepard
Summary: Connal meets a new face from The Doctor's past. Should probably read Past Alterations first, but you don't have to. It's just a snippet that my mind wouldn't let go of.


Meeting New Faces

G rating

AU again, way AU.

Connal meets someone new while mom and dad are off on an adventure. There is so much fluff here it might as well be a cloud. ;D Don't get too comfy though, there's one face in particular that bring on the feels something fierce.

Apparently this little brain bubble is not through with me. At least he's a cute little brain bubble with chubby cheeks and Clara's dimples and curly hair and big brown eyes. As always BBC and Moffet own Doctor Who, and I'll never make money off of any of my brain bubbles that get turned into stories. No copyright infringement is intended.

-Doctor Who-

Madame Vastra wasn't sure she was comfortable with the arrangement that her lovely wife had made with Clara Oswald. It would be a rather uncomfortable situation she thought. Upsetting to the household, and distracting from the Paternoster gang's work. It would take her wife's attention from her, most importantly. Jenny had agreed to babysit. Vastra rolled her eyes. She didn't understand the ape infatuation with infants and small animals. She was a lizard after all.

Vastra would admit that Connal was a handsome little ape though, and she still felt she owed The Doctor. The TARDIS had just materialized in the courtyard, and Clara breezed through the doors with her arms full of wiggly baby wrapped in a soft blanket. She had a bag over a shoulder and a grin on her face as she was met by Strax.

"Welcome, surrender your weapons or I shall be forced to implode your brain with a sonic grenade." He greeted cheerfully.

"How are you, Strax? Connal's not a weapon, but I will surrender him to Jenny as soon as we get inside." Clara was perpetually happy since the birth of her son. The Doctor swept from the doors behind her with a portable cot in his hands. He had been strangely content since he and Clara had gotten closer. Well, since he'd stopped fighting the attraction and let go of some insecurities. Vastra would admit that the squishy little thing had done a wonder for The Doctor's temperament. She turned from the window as the door opened and Jenny preceded the happy family into the room. Clara was giving instructions.

"His cereal and his nappys are in the bag along with extra clothes. He can get messy as quick as you can blink. The Doctor has his bed for nap time, where would you like it set up?" She stopped for breath and let Jenny answer.

"Here in the drawing room is fine, Miss Clara." They stepped aside so The Doctor could set up the small crib. He did so expertly and with no complaints. Then looked around and spotted Vastra.

"Thanks for this, old friend." He was smiling more these days. "Occasionally, we need a small break."

"Thank Jenny, it was her idea." She stated in the ever composed tone she was known for.

Clara was still talking with the softer spoken woman. "He's a good boy, but he might get fussy when it's close to nap time. I've a bottle ready for him, just warm it up a bit." She looked down at the gurgling boy in her arms. "Now you, my little Timelord, you be a good boy for your Aunt Jenny and your Auntie Vastra. You can give Strax as much as he can take though, right?" She gave her son a mischievous grin and he giggled back at her as though he understood perfectly what she'd just said.

"Thanks again, you two, you have no idea what it means to us that we have you to look after him when we need to do a thing." The Doctor stated to the both of them.

"Absolutely thanks." Clara stated passing the baby off to his father. Vastra watched the Doctor's forehead rest to his boy's, and they shared a maniacal glee. She wondered if she wanted to know what thoughts had passed between them. The boy was definitely his father's son with that look on his tiny face. "We'll see you in a few hours, but don't wait up." Jenny's arms were soon full of a giggly Connal.

The couple breezed out as fast as they'd come in and Vastra felt almost that a whirlwind had come for a visit. "Now then, young Master Connal, let's get you settled and playing." Jenny pulled several toys from the bag that Clara had left beside the little bed. He joyously scattered them over the room and explored the house under the ladies' watchful eyes. Strax was of absolutely no use, as he kept losing sight of the active baby. Connal was able to toddle about, but mostly still crawled where he needed to be.

Connal eventually wore down after a few hours of gleeful mayhem. Vastra had found herself actually enjoying the child's antics, especially when he was vexing Strax. She'd laughed out right several times as the Sontaran had tried to scan the child that could not be contained. Now, though, the baby was indeed fussy, like The Doctor with an unsolvable mystery. Jenny had warmed the bottle as Clara had instructed, but Connal was adamantly against it. He'd just tossed it across the room for the fifth time when there was a bell at the door.

"Ma'am, would you hold him while I get that?" She settle the irritable thing on Vastra's lap.

"What? No! Let Strax get the door, it's his job." Her hands wrapped the squishy little body to prevent a fall, even as she protested.

"I would, Ma'am, but he's still out looking for Connal." She laughed a little. Vastra found herself highly amused by that, as Jenny exited the room. The boy on her knees was squirming and grumpy and she really had no idea what to do with him. Thankfully, Jenny was soon back preceded by a woman with a wild halo of strawberry curls. "I told you, Miss River, Madame Vastra isn't taking visitors today!" Jenny was frantically trying to get the uncontrollable force of a woman to stop.

"Nonsense, it won't take a minute. I'm just-" She broke off at the sight of Vastra with a grumbling baby on her knees. "Well, are we on a diet, then."

Vastra hissed at her, and Jenny came to take Connal and try the bottle again. "I am certainly not. Jenny is babysitting today."

"Must be someone special for you two to agree to watch one so young." River was studying the baby intently. He fought the bottle again and it dropped to the ground. "Jenny, would you give me a go at that." She didn't give them a chance to protest as she plucked him from the other woman's arms. He settled somewhat with this new face to study. "Hello there, aren't you a handsome little one."

Connal gurgled up at her, and gave her a smile. She then noticed something off, and her features froze. The cadence of his heart beats was very familiar. "Who's child is this?" River asked them slowly as her bright blue eyes met the impish brown ones belonging to the little boy in her arms.

"Well, that is to say," Vastra didn't know what she should reveal.

"It's all right. Won't do any harm, just tell me. This is his son, isn't it? The Doctor's?" River looked up to the green-scaled woman. "It's all right, I know he'll live long past the time I know him as my husband. We're traveling in different directions through time, remember."

"Yes, Connal is The Doctor's child." Vastra finally gave in quietly.

"I thought so. You have his look about your eyes, little man." River was focused on the baby fully now. "Let's see now, how about we give this bottle a try." She picked it up from the table that Jenny had placed it on after washing off the nipple. She shifted Connal into a one-armed grip and offered the bottle to him. He was studying her intently as well, and took it without thinking. "You know I know your daddy very well. He's needed healing for a very long time now. It's good that he's found it." She was rocking the baby in her arms now. She started telling him stories of her adventures with his father. After a time, longer than Vastra or Jenny expected, Connal was asleep, and River was just watching him in his slumber.

"River, I'm so sorry." Jenny stated. "I tried to keep you from finding this out."

"No, Jenny. I'm glad I get to meet this little fellow. I assume that he's from the Doctor's future, when I'm long gone from his timeline." River waited for their nods. "Out of curiosity, how long after?"

Jenny answered. "For him, I think it's near a thousand years now. He's a new face on too."

"He shouldn't, he's already had his allotment of regenerations, but I think anything more would be spoilers." She sighed and nuzzled the tiny brow with her nose before placing a kiss to it. "I won't say that it isn't painful, what wife wants to have the proof that her husband moves on from her death, breathing in her arms, but it's a comfort too. I'm happy that he found peace, even if it wasn't with me." She stroked the baby soft cheek and he smiled in his sleep revealing the most adorable dimples. "I suppose I should put him down to rest."

Vastra knew the sound of reluctance when she heard it. "I think that you should, perhaps, sit with him here. He's content, and I think you are too, with him in your arms."

"I wouldn't want to stay past my welcome." River stated. "I know you are more his friends than mine, but this expedition could be lengthy, and I wanted to see everyone I could before I head off."

"Not at all, Jenny and I have some work that would otherwise be waiting for Connal's departure. It would be a tremendous help if you would watch him for a while. Unless you have more pressing matters?" Vastra offered, and River smiled.

"If it will help then I'll stay with him a bit longer." She stroked his soft baby curls. "I never thought to want this. Too busy being, well, me. I think I'll enjoy this as long as I can. I do have an appointment, but I've got a vortex manipulator. I'll make it to the ship in plenty of time." They left her then and she sat holding Connal for a long while, until the familiar sound of the TARDIS woke him from his nap.

"Da, da, da, da." He said excited.

"You are a very clever thing. Yes, that's your daddy, and I bet your mum is with him. Let's get you presentable for them, shall we?" She found his little bag and changed his nappy. She dressed him in a clean romper, and wiped his smudged face with a baby wipe. "There now, all put together. It's been nice meeting you, little Connal."

The door opened and an unfamiliar voice came to them. "Where is my little-" the voice trailed off at the sight of her. "River?"

"I guess you know me then." She smiled as the baby in her arms started calling for his 'Ma.'

"Well, yes, we met a while back now. Well, in a sense." Clara watched the much younger looking River holding her son.

River nodded, and offered up the baby. "Probably shouldn't say more then. It's in my future. I just want you to know, he is magnificent." She indicated the baby snuggling close in Clara's arms, happy to have his mummy back with him.

"Thank you, River."

"Well, I should be off. I've got a date with a ship. There's a very large library that I'm excited to see."

"Right, and we have a date with a bath and a grumpy Timelord." She bounced her son in her arms. "Don't we, Connal? You'll cheer him right up, won't you." He squealed happily flailing his arms excitedly. Clara had become quite adept at hiding her reactions from people, so the mention of the expedition that would be the end of River Song wasn't noticed by the other woman. "It's good to see you again, River. He still loves you, you know?"

"Thank you, my dear. I'm glad I'm remembered."

"Fondly remembered too. Connal has heard stories of all his Dad's companions over the years. He seems to like your adventures best. It's actually a little worrying." Clara assured her. River smiled widely then.

"You don't know how comforting that is. Take good care of them." She smiled and hit a command on her vortex manipulator. There was a flash and she was gone.

Clara didn't know what to make of it, River had died so long ago. She'd let her echo fade the day that Clara had thrown herself in The Doctor's timeline to save him. The day, she now realized, that her love for the doctor had changed from just the pale love for a friend to that love that created the baby in her arms. It was the day that one of The Doctor's loves had died and the next one begun.

Clara felt her throat tighten a bit, and let a tear fall for the other woman. It was only the one though. She'd been a time traveler long enough now to know that nothing could be changed. River's time had come and gone, this was her time now. Connal giggled softly and patted her face. She smiled for him and rubbed her nose to his before setting about tidying the room. "Let's go find Dad, shall we?"

A few minutes later, Clara and Connal had gone. No one was there to see the second flash of light and River returning. She crossed to the window. The TARDIS was in the courtyard. Clara was headed to her with Connal on her hip. They were met by a familiar stranger. He was a bit taller and his hair was curly and gray. His face was full of lines, and his eyes were a different blue. He was her Doctor though.

That look in his eyes would forever give him away no matter what face he was wearing. She watched those eyes light up and the thinner lips on this face part in a brilliant smile. River found herself smiling with him, as she watched him turn giddy at the sight of his family. Connal reaching excitedly for him, she could almost hear his laugh as she watched him pull the baby into his own arms. River was expecting to feel pain watching him with someone else, for now Clara was pulled in closer and his lips found hers. She pulled away smiling, one hand to The Doctor's cheek, her thumb tracing over his lips. Her other hand was caressing Connal's curls, clearly inherited from this face of The Doctor's.

There was the sound of a soft step behind her. "I couldn't resist seeing him as he is now. They fit well together."

Vastra's voice came from behind her. "It took them quite a while to find each other. They nearly didn't."

"I'm glad that they did. He always makes things harder than they need to be." River was still watching the trio reunited. "I know I shouldn't be here, but I just wanted to see him happy. To know that the loss of me isn't the end of him."

"It isn't. He's The Doctor. You know him better than anyone. He mourns and then he finds something to help him move on." Vastra was being very understanding now.

"Yes, he is very good at that." River almost asked why this didn't hurt more, but she knew. It was because he was happy. He was the man she loved and he was happy and that was all that mattered. She knew if their roles were reversed it would be the same. For that matter, if it were Clara in her position it would be the same for her, too. "I suppose I should go. I don't want to run into him. Sorry for the timeline error. This manipulator is getting rather old. I'm glad I got to meet them though. I approve." She gave Vastra a smile and disappeared again.

Vastra crossed to the window then and watched The Doctor and Clara enter the TARDIS. It vanished moments later.

Inside the TARDIS, a new memory formed in The Doctor's mind. It was from just after he'd pulled Clara from his own timeline, after she'd splintered herself into a thousand different pieces to save him. She was unconscious in his arms. River's echo had not yet faded and she leaned close to Clara. "I'm glad it's you, Clara Oswald. You'll make him happy. Just remember to be patient with him. He can be impossible at times." Then River faded away completely with a secret smile.


End file.
